Twitter suspends some accounts reporting on Russian military (2022-02-23T16:42:00.000Z).
Twitter has suspended or locked the accounts of at least 15 users who were tracking Russian military movements on the platform.
The accounts are part of a relatively new form of journalism that uses the internet to gather images and video (also known as open-source intelligence, or OSINT) in an effort to track and report on violent conflicts. Many of these accounts have been tracking Russian military movements — information that the Russian military might have found problematic if they launched an attack.
Many tech companies use automated systems to moderate their platforms, which can be tricked into banning legitimate accounts through a coordinated flood of false claims.
A spokesperson for Twitter said the company has reinstated some accounts that were mistakenly suspended.
"We’ve been proactively monitoring for emerging narratives that are violative of our policies, and, in this instance, we took enforcement action on a number of accounts in error," the spokesperson said in an email. "We’re expeditiously reviewing these actions and have already proactively reinstated access to a number of affected accounts."
The spokesperson added that the suspensions were not the result of a "coordinated bot campaign" or "mass reporting."
The United States and its allies have stepped up sanctions on Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into eastern Ukraine.
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